Volume 3

Mini Happy Me

Prologue

"Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words ‘EAT ME’ were beautifully marked in currants. ‘Well, I’ll eat it,’ said Alice, ‘and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I’ll get into the garden, and I don’t care which happens!’

She ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself, ‘Which way? Which way?’, holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size: to be sure, this generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.

So she set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.

‘Curiouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); ‘now I’m opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!’ (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). ‘Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I’m sure I shan’t be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can;—but I must be kind to them,’ thought Alice, ‘or perhaps they won’t walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I’ll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.’

And she went on planning to herself how she would manage it. ‘They must go by the carrier,’ she thought; ‘and how funny it’ll seem, sending presents to one’s own feet! And how odd the directions will look!"

From Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Chapter 1: MiniMeLand

A new wonderland grown on the earth

A place of only dreams can come alive at once

Sleeping on beds of pink daises

My imagination fluttering about

Like the wings of delicate butterflies

That carry my desires in the wind

I never want this to ever end

Breathing in the air slowly

Falling asleep instantly

Chapter 2: Flamingoing

Flamingo high, flamingo low,

when flamingo stretchy-leggy, then flamingo grow.

Cheeky beaking, shifty sifting, lifting up a flipper;

notty neck and naughty pecks, while dancing with a kipper.

Flaming heck and flaming Oh!

Flaming flamingularonimo!

I tango and flamenco and I imitate a swan,

but this winking pink flamingo’s blinking going going gone.

Chapter 3: Balloon Party!

Don’t Bring Me Flowers that will dry away.

Bring Me Balloons that can fly away!

Volume 4

MiniMe 'N' Roses

Prologue

It was raining. It had been raining. It would probably continue to rain. Alice stared glumly out the window. The crows were the only ones who went out in the rain, and while they brought many shiny trinkets back from their adventures, none of them interested Alice. Yesterday it had been a sapphire ring, the day before an empty chip bag, the day before that... well, Alice didn’t really remember... She drifted off to sleep before the window.

It was wet. Alice opened her eyes; maybe the wind had picked up and it was raining in, or maybe she had been drooling... Then she saw it—the pink rose. Finally, something that interested her! She had never seen such a cheery rose; all of the roses in her garden were blue. That gave her an idea! She jumped up and promptly tripped over her hair. Alice had sat in her room for so long that her lovely oak floor was now carpeted—with her hair. They should call me Rapunzel! she laughed to herself. If I let down my hair will a prince climb up to my window?

Chapter 1: The Rosy Roses

“Well, before anything else, the hair needs to go,” Alice said to no one in particular. She dug through the golden sea and eventually managed to stumble upon a pair of scissors. Alice knew nothing about hair-cutting, but how hard could it be? Removing it from her room would probably be more difficult than cutting it...

While not entirely even, it could have been worse. After locating a paintbrush and bright pink paint she ran down to the garden. Presently, the roses were as rosy as could be. One could even say they were tickled pink—Alice froze. She glimpsed a black shadow beyond the gate. “Could it be my prince?” she asked the flowers.

Chapter 2: The Rose's Petal

It was a penguin. The penguin took Alice on many adventures, and Alice asked each person she met whether they had given her the rose.

They came to a beautiful garden filled with statues and fountains. Alice was so entranced by the scenery that she did not notice the rose had wilted. Eventually Alice spotted a stranger in the garden and went to ask him about the rose. However, the stranger responded that he would never give something so ugly to someone so beautiful. Alice became very angry and stated that only someone with an ugly heart could possibly find the rose unattractive. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw what rested in her hands; all but a single petal had fallen from the rose.

Chapter 3: The Prince's Rose

Alice rubbed her eyes, leaving black smudges on her palms. The penguin took Alice’s hand, and led her away.

He took Alice deeper and deeper into the maze of statues and vegetation. Soon more ivy was visible than marble and through her blurry vision Alice glimpsed pale dismembered limbs beneath their feet. She could just barely make out the faint sound of music... although it may have just been the rustling of the leaves. Had Alice been more clear-minded and -eyed she may have found the experience rather eerie, as the dimness of the light was inversely proportional to the quantity of foliage. It would have been completely dark if not for the lamps sprouting from a number of the plants lining what may be considered, with a gratuitous stretch of the imagination, a path. Finally, a warm glow came into sight. Music wafted toward them. The light spilled out of a wide door left slightly ajar. Several voices spoke and laughed softly just beyond the opening.

The light beyond the doorway had been so warm because, Alice realized after her eyes had adjusted, the room was covered in gold. Squeezing her hand, the penguin pointed up to the ceiling. Alice smiled and hugged him.

The ceiling was slightly domed and consisted entirely of a stained glass mural depicting a breathtaking rose. But even more spectacular than the ceiling was the change taking place within the penguin. “It was my rose,” said what had been the penguin. “You’re my prince...?” replied Alice. “If it pleases you.”

Alice took his hand and they proceeded to dance the night away.

Volume 5

World's Most Marvelous MiniMe Circus

Chapter 1: The Circus

“Step right up, fly right down, or twirl right into the world’s most marvelous MiniMe Circus!” whistled the breeze.

Alice was enjoying her afternoon, as had been her habit recently, gazing down upon the world from her hot air balloon. The voice spoke again; Alice twisted around, but saw no one. On the ground, what had initially appeared to be a clump of extremely plump red striped toadstools grew larger, and larger, and larger... and the voice grew louder, and louder, and louder.... to the point where she could almost make out its words... when finally Alice realized that that, whatever it is, was the source of the now silent voice. She had since revised her opinion of toadstools to a very-large-someone’s unfolded laundry. Maybe, like her, they had changed size suddenly and were trapped in their clothing! Ah, wait—no, that can’t be right—could it? She decided to find out.

As Alice landed her balloon, acrobats somersaulted through the air, splashing her playfully with water from their fins and tails; a tiger leapt through the gap between her head and the balloon; a clown stared forlornly into her soul; and someone’s popcorn caught in the breeze and showered over the spectators. She felt overwhelmed, as if she had flown into a wedding, or a swarm of gnats of unusual size. It was a circus.

Chapter 2: The Flood

The Ringmaster, a green parakeet sporting a top hat, picked a piece of popcorn from her hair. Which, after the abuse it had suffered, was looking more like a nest than proper hair. Apparently Alice was not the only one who sensed this, as a fluffy rainbow cat soon took up residence there. The sky darkened and a light drizzle, followed by a steady drip, which escalated to the pouring of buckets, forced everyone to take shelter within the tents. It rained and it rained; the acrobats were soon no longer swimming through the skies, but a growing ocean. At first the clown and lion had been playing beach volleyball, but presently the water reached their waists and finally above their heads.

Chapter 3: The Caucus-Race

But rather than packing up and going home, which would have been boring—and no one in the circus was boring—they decided to hold a Caucus-Race. As everyone knows, movement not only warms one up, but also allows water to dry more quickly, so everyone heartily agreed upon the idea. Around Alice the animals donned their uniforms; 1 for the Ringmaster; 3 for the acrobats; 8 for the clown; 9 for the tiger; and so on... leaving Alice with a numberless shirt labeled “Tiger Softball.” It was decided a winner would be agreed upon by the contestants as the contestants swam in circles around the Big Top. Unfortunately, it was at this point that Alice realized she never had, and thus did not know how to swim. Fortunately the tiger noticed and allowed her to ride upon his back. While the purpose of the exercise had been to dry oneself, the only one actually becoming drier was Alice (as she was for the most part above the water).

The fish of course had the greatest advantage, and in the end everyone was declared a winner. While it did not do much in the way of drying off for anyone other than Alice, the contestants were mollified in each receiving a prize (pieces of soggy popcorn which had previously affixed themselves to Alice’s hair, but which by this point had become mostly dry and were beginning to fall into the water) at Alice’s expense. The Ringmaster insisted Alice herself must also receive a prize, so she took a piece of almost dry popcorn from her hair and handed it to him, which he immediately awarded upon her. Alice climbed from the tiger’s back into the hot air balloon, which had fortunately stayed afloat throughout the rain. After ushering the other animals aboard, the tiger jumped in himself and they set out in search of dry land.

Volume 6

MiniMe Monsters

Chapter 1: The Suitcase

Alice rushed to the mirror, her cheeks flushed—today was the day! She inspected her outfit critically; maybe her Queen sweater would have been better... and what if it rained? Alice pondered this for a moment and began to turn, struggling with her overpacked suitcase, when the girl in the mirror took a step toward her. Intent on the case, Alice ignored the movement until an identical (albeit reflected) suitcase began protruding from the mirror. Alice’s struggle with her own case was nothing compared to the girl’s in the mirror, who had begun kicking it in a rather sad attempt to force it from the mirror. Standing transfixed, Alice watched as the girl succeeded and finally collapsed on her sofa. Finding the blue davenport none too comfortable, the familiar stranger popped up, saying, “Well, aren’t you ready to go?” She nodded dumbly and they left for Disneyland Paris.

Chapter 2: The Twin

Upon their arrival at Disney, Alice, to her dismay, finds no one can tell herself apart from her twin, even though, as Alice rightly points out, everything about them is reversed, including the text on their shirts! What could be more obvious!? Finally becoming frustrated with self introductions from old friends, Alice decides to dye her hair blue. ENTIRELY blue. Along with her change in hair her mood steadily improved, and Alice found herself beginning to enjoy the park’s many attractions. Until The Copy sat down with her cafè latte opposite Alice, eyebrows raised at her tea. They sipped their respective drinks without comment. The Copy broke the silence, “I find no drink is complete without something along the lines of the Mona Lisa or The Creation of Adam drawn with milk.” Alice looked up narrowing her eyes, “I prefer tea,” while thinking Or The Scream? What had been a pleasant rainforest themed café became a jungle, a jungle filled with wild monsters—or at least two. Alice’s mood continued to worsen with the realization that The Copy had no place to go other than back to her apartment—the rain didn’t help either.

Chapter 3: MiniMe Monsters

After several days of cohabitation, during which The Copy continued to do the opposite of what Alice found proper, including leaving her dirty clothing strewn about the floor of the bedroom—which Alice also did herself, but now found decidedly unpleasant. The Copy also got up early, too early. Alice’s list of perceived transgressions continued for several more miles, while written in an 8 pt font. This morning though, she had had enough. As if attempting to play Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor on the wooden fish wasn’t frustrating enough (which she was convinced had been a true stroke of inspiration on her part), The Copy was also practicing her instrument of choice, the electric guitar. Which was not only loud, irritating, and distracting, but like Alice she had no idea what she was doing. Her singing voice was also a step down from a breaking glass. Why, for the love of goodness, was she singing? Alice had been working herself up to saying something when the doorbell rang. Sighing, she set her wooden fish aside and began a careful descent of the narrow, steep, and almost-spiral staircase.

“Are you the one producing the wholesomely chaotic music?”

Music? thought Alice. Another thought sluggishly formed in her mind What if people like the sound we had been producing?Maybe living together was a bit impossible, but forming the world’s most amazing punk band? Maybe not. Anything was possible in punk, and to the best of Alice’s knowledge they would be the first wooden fish electric guitar duo.

“ecilA, come down here—I have an idea, and it’s called MiniMe Monsters!”